Community events can get a little…stale, especially at student housing communities. Holiday-related parties with bowls of potato chips. And not even the ruffled kind, you monsters. Or, in the case of my on-campus student housing a million years ago, there are no student housing events. But, then again, then we were just happy to have washers and dryers on the property. And we walked to class and back—uphill, in the snow. Go, Bearcats!

Anyway…

We all know the benefits of having apartment-wide events. They make residents feel a sense of community, which in turn makes them more likely to renew their leases and give good reviews of the apartment. And you can use images in your advertising and social media to attract more potential renters. Plus, they’re fun.

So, why not spice things up?

And, unless you’ve been living under a Pokeball, you know that the hottest smart phone game right now is Pokemon Go. It was recently released, and people are projecting that it might even become more popular than Twitter! (#Twitterbirdsheddingasingletear)

(If you don’t know how to play yet, here’s an explanation of the free augmented reality game.)

The participants can team up to explore the community and the surrounding neighborhood over a specific period of time. Whichever team catches the most wins. You can have one phone per team to catch the pokemon, or you can see which team catches the most collectively. Basically, it ends up being a high-tech scavenger hunt. Bonus, if there are teams, the residents have a chance to mix and mingle (plus it helps avoid them being targeted by criminals, which unfortunately isn’t a joke but something that actually has happened).

You can offer prizes if you want, or just have them do it for the glory.

And then you can use the results in your marketing! Have the players all take screen shots of their pokemon in the common areas of your apartment community or the surrounding area. When you post the images on your social media accounts, you’ll not only show how fun your community is, but you’ll be able to show off your great amenities or the cool things around town. I mean, is it even worth going in the pool if there’s no Squirtle swimming around in there with you? Clearly, the answer is no.

Would you consider a Pokemon Go community event? What are some other off-beat events you’ve hosted at your community, and do the residents seem to like those? Where’s the craziest place you’ve found a pokemon? Post your comments on our Facebook page or send a tweet to @MHNOnline or @jfiur.